FITTED FAM.
Saturday, February 6th, 2010CHELSEA LATELY BLOOPERS
Friday, February 5th, 2010REST IN PARADISE: FRANK FASI
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
Former Mayor Frank Francis Fasi, purveyor of the Fasi shaka as well as what is regarded as America’s best public transportation system, passed away in his Makiki home last night, due to natural causes. Fasi, who was born in Hartford, Connecticut, eventually made the trip to Honolulu after enlisting in the Marines, shortly after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Fasi was regarded as a “maverick” during the early years of his political career, which lasted for a strong 46 years, serving as Mayor for 22 out of those 46. As Mayor of Honolulu, Fasi was responsible for numerous, ground-breaking achievements, including the opening of the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, the construction of the Satellite City Hall, and the establishment of The Bus, which has won numerous awards as America’s Best Transit System.
On top of the construction and opening of what have become some of Hawai’i’s more famous landmarks, Fasi created our island’s Summer Fun recreational programs, and the annual Honolulu City Lights display. “Even rail transit was a centerpiece of his administration,” says current Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann. “He was truly one of the greatest mayors Honolulu has ever had, a visionary who spoke with action rather than words,” said Councilman Ikaika Anderson.
Fasi was an ambitious Democrat, a political hero to some, similar to whom he regarded as political heroes: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson and John F. Kennedy. A recent statement released by the Fasi ohana reads “The man affectionately known by many in Hawaii simply as ‘the Mayor’ truly loved this city of Honolulu and devoted much of his life in trying to improve it.”
Our condolences go out to the entire Fasi family.
SADE - MAKING OF SOLDIER OF LOVE
Thursday, February 4th, 2010AZIZ ANSARI (Raaaaaaaandy) DISCUSSES R. KELLY, JAY-Z & KANYE WEST
Thursday, February 4th, 2010Aziz Ansari, better known as Raaaaaaaandy in Judd Apatow’s dramedy, Funny People, discusses an experience at an R. Kelly concert (it’s hilarious!) with Jimmy Kimmel and spending a night out with his boy, KanYe West and Jay-Z with David Letterman. In related news, the rumours of a possible Raaaaaaaandy spin-off movie has finally been green-lit by Judd Apatow (Superbad / The 40 Year Old Virgin), and it’s been reported that Quentin Tarantino cosigns the idea. My two cents? Naaaaah!
FIREBASE RESTREPO: KORENGAL VALLEY, AFGHANISTAN
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
Every American who has served in any war, and has witnessed blood-shed up-close and personal, knows that there is more to deal with than the present, unsanctioned war at hand. There is also an unconventional war fermenting in our minds. I say “ours” because although I served five years in the Navy, and may have not been stuck in the agonizingly searing deserts for months on end, there are certain “things” I have observed first-hand that will be forever singed in my mind. There are some who will unwittingly crack a half-smile when conversating about the subject, but don’t expect to get too much detail out of a curious question. It’s bad enough to have to witness, live through it and carry that burden on both shoulders; it’s another thing to retell it and relive it for your entertainment. It may sound contemptuous, but many of the ones who keep quiet find it a bit easier to adjust to civilian life.
It’s no different with the young men who serve at Firebase Restrepo, an outpost in the Korengal Valley deep in injurious Afghanistan. Restrepo is a 2010 documentary that focuses on Battle Company, 173rd Airborne Infantry, shot from the perspective of these soldiers, where the Grim Reaper may appear from around the corner at any given time. The outpost, a mere meters from their main base, was christened “Restrepo” in honor of one of their fallen men, PFC (Private First Class) Juan “Doc” Restrepo.
The film/documentary, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, is expected to air on National Geographic Channel sometime this year. I encourage anyone with the slightest sense of interest in what these men deal with on a daily basis, while we’re back at home, watching the Super Bowl and enjoying life, to catch this. Hopefully, someone will pick this up for distribution, even if it’s a limited run. Check below for a behind-the-scenes look at life with Viper Company in the Korengal Valley.
U-N-I (VERSE)
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
We wanted to take a moment out to big up our fam all the way live from Inglewood, Hip-Hop duo U-N-I, comprised of Thurzday and @Y-O (Yonas). U-N-I is gearing up to release the sequel to their critically acclaimed mixtape album, A Love Supreme (we’re including a link to that after the jump). For those unfamiliar with U-N-I, please follow this link to read an in-depth feature/interview.
Shout outs to Yonas, Thurz & Chris!
KNOWxONE AT THE MOVIES: SIN NOMBRE
Monday, February 1st, 2010
The second film I watched over the weekend which I mentioned below, is called Sin Nombre (lit. Without Name). Sin Nombre is the feature directorial debut from Cary Fukunaga, which won the award for Dramatic Directing (Cary Fukunaga) as well as the award for Excellence In Cinematography (Adriano Goldman) at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.